Last Of Her Kind
by Edo-Salandria
Summary: Lucy never felt like she fit in, on the night of her 25th birthday a pink haired man came into her life and she learned why she never fit in. **Written for the Myth Creations Fairy Tail Event on tumblr 04/06/2017 for StarDress** ***Explicit Language***


Lucy stared down at her notebook, trying to outline the next chapter of her novel. The idea well had just run dry and she tried her best not to distract herself with useless Pinterest posts or Reddit rants.

An agitation was building within her as if something was absent or there was a comfort missing. Lucy paced around the room in an aimless state, stopping to look out her window at the darkening sky; the only stars visible were the brightest and strongest ones.

The city drowned out the rest of the beauties that were too shy to shine.

She frowned momentarily at the thought of those obscured stars before turning with an annoyed huff, gathering her notebook, laptop, and favorite writing utensils. She tossed the items into an oversized tote, a cute little bag that looked like it was straight out of a 90's hippie store.

After securing her keys in her hand, she exited the apartment, deciding a nice evening stroll would be good to clear her head, and maybe even get a better look at the stars. They were always her best source of inspiration along with those vivid dreams that played out every time she shut her eyes.

Her mind wandered to her strange sleeping habits of late. Her nights have started to become the time where she feels the most awake and alive. The moment the sun peeked over the horizon she would feel the gentle pull of exhaustion and sleep.

No amount of espresso or coffee would help combat the crippling tiredness, and by noontime, she was usually asleep. Lucy chalked it up to stress of meeting her various writing deadlines and her terrible eating habits.

She walked down the quiet streets of Magnolia just past 6 pm, slowly beginning to relax slightly. She let her instincts direct her down the sidewalks of the city before a chilling sense began to creep into her senses as if someone was following her.

Lucy stopped and turned, but found nothing out of the ordinary. There as no one in sight as she stood there scanning the houses and trees surrounding her. Although she saw nothing with her eyes, she still could not shake the feeling of being watched.

It certainly wasn't the same watched feeling she gets when she was at home.

 _No, that's a different feeling altogether._

It feels almost like she is being watched over as opposed to being watched. She then realized that maybe that's what agitated her earlier, the missing presence of something watching over her. She shook off the chill down her spine and quickened her pace.

She was unconsciously weaving in and out of streets that were well lit and highly visible, her destination unknown to her. As she turned onto one of the main roads that led to Magnolia's "Main Street", she knew exactly where to go.

Her favorite cafe was 2 blocks down the road, open 24 hours and with free wi-fi, it was the perfect place to settle into one of the oversized comfy chairs with a latte and work on her novel. She briskly walked the two blocks, noting the ominous feeling only dissipated slightly when she reached a more populated area.

* * *

She walked up to the counter and was greeted by a warm smile from the barista.

"Hi Lucy, what can I get you tonight?"

Lucy returned the warm smile, adopting a friendly tone, "Hello! Can I get a medium caramel latte with whole milk… and _oh_ , a slice of double chocolate cake!"

"Chocolate cake?" She replied in surprise, as Lucy nodded, prompting him to continue, "What's the occasion, you never order food!"

She smiled sheepishly, "It's my birthday, so I thought I would treat myself."

The surprised look vanished into a wide smile, "Well Happy Birthday Lucy, your order is on the house tonight!" With a wink, the barista turned around to begin her order.

Lucy tried to object but realized quickly it was pointless, she just yelled "Thanks!" after her and left her a tip that was at least the cost of the latte. She turned making her way over to her favorite brown leather chair hidden in the back corner of the cafe where she knew she wouldn't be disturbed.

Her order came out a few minutes later, the barista setting it on the side table next to her as she set up her laptop to begin her work. Glancing up, she nodded again to the barista and thanked her warmly for the cake and latte.

Lucy took a sip of the delicious warm drink and began typing away. She had drawn sufficient inspiration from her walk and the sensation that she was being followed.

The time passed quicker than she expected. Her latte was cold and her cake was half eaten as she slowly nibbled at it for the past 2 hours. The sweet barista who gifted her the delicious treats left about an hour ago.

The next shift was in and lazing about before the zombie shift came in. The zombie shift catered to all the club and bar goers that were suddenly released onto the streets of Magnolia when the clock struck 2 am, they were not to be envied.

Lucy was wrapped up in reviewing her last few paragraphs. Her brows were knit together in concentration as she raised her cold latte to her lips. It was then that she felt what she had missed all evening, like someone is watching over her. She felt like she was wrapped in an oversized fleece blanket, savoring the feeling, she let out a small hum of satisfaction.

Her eyes glanced up as if she would spot the person or thing that she sensed, but as always, she saw nothing. Refocusing her attention, she went back to reviewing her recently written words. After she mumbled her last sentences under her breath to see if they sounded alright, she let out a puff of air as she sat back stating to herself quietly, "So friggin' cliche".

"I agree, Igneel would have never talked of freedom to rally his forces, it just sounds so Braveheart-ish. Then again Braveheart wasn't even made 400 years ago, neither was TV or movies for that matter." Lucy nearly jumped almost spilling what was left of her latte. She glanced up at the person who was rambling on with commentary on her novel.

"Excuse me?" was all she could muster looking at the man with a puzzled expression.

"Sorry, sometimes I ramble on. I happened to overhear you re-reading your last paragraph." The strange man gave off an innocent enough grin.

Skeptically she asked, "How exactly did you overhear me? I was barely talking out loud."

"I happen to have excellent 20/20 hearing." She giggled at his misuse of terms and it was then that she made direct eye contact him as he stood over her. She flustered as she realized just how handsome he was, her voice betrayed her as she smiled up at him "Please, have a seat."

"Don't mind if I do." He held out his hand to her, "My name is Natsu, and you are?"

It took everything in her power to squeak out a reply. "Um… Lucy?" The tone in her voice wavered as she shook his hand.

"Are you sure about that?" He chuckled softly as he sat down opposite her.

Lucy had lost herself, drinking in the person who sat before her. She had started by admiring how rough and strong his hands felt when they shook hands. She couldn't help but wonder what they would feel like caressing her skin.

This wasn't normal Lucy behavior so she tried to shake it off, with little-to-no success. Her eyes trailed up his arms noticing how well-defined the muscles were as they led up to the black t-shirt sleeve. Her focus continued toward his sculpted shoulders that showed through the trim fitting t-shirt.

She imagined what he would look like shirtless as he pinned her down on her bed.

Mentally chastising herself, her eyes landed on his neck the faint outline of his jugular vein looked deliciously sinful. She fought the overwhelming urge lick the length of the vein up to his prominent jaw line. When her eyes came to his face, she was too caught up with her wildly lewd images of him to even notice the devilish smirk he wore. After noting his well-defined cheekbones, she noticed the most stunning feature he had.

Spiked pink hair loosely framed his face, _how_ she had not seen it before completely escaped her. As she trailed over his lightly tanned face her eyes met with his, they were a dark shade of green that made her think of moss growing on a tree deep within the forest. It was then that she realized what she was doing and she was caught frozen like a deer in the headlights.

"Are you undressing me with your eyes?" Natsu asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. In that moment he understood the alternate definition of "meat market".

"Oh god yes." The instant those words tumbled out of her mouth, her eyes widened in horror, shaking her hands wildly, "No- _no-no_ , I meant, oh god no. I didn't mean - I'm not saying you're not handsome as hell but I - Oh just shoot me now." Lucy's hands flew to her face to hide her embarrassment of being caught.

She peeked through her fingers when she heard him laugh loudly, watching Natsu relax back into his seat, "I am so sorry."

"You are a strange one, I'll give you that. I don't think I ever saw a woman get flustered over me. Now that I think about it, I've never been ogled by a woman before, they actually avoid me like I have the plague or something."

Lucy lowered her hands, surprised at his words, "Can we start over again?"

"From what point are we starting over exactly?" He asked, tilting his head.

"How about the handshake?"

Natsu leaned forward and offered his hand once again "Hey, my name is Natsu Dragneel, and you are?"

Lucy grabbed his hand, shaking briefly, "Lucy Heartfilia." She felt his grip tighten slightly when he heard her name but thought nothing of it.

"Well, nice to meet you Lucy Heartfilia." Natsu gave his brightest toothy grin.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Dragneel, so tell me, what brings you my way this evening?"

Natsu relaxed back, "Well I happen to be here for coffee and noticed this stunning blonde in the corner of the café looking a little frustrated and in need of a break."

Lucy blushed at the compliment, "Thank you, assuming you're talking about me."

He nodded back, "Indeed I was."

She shifted in her chair, "So you felt compelled to listen in on me and then bold enough to throw your two cents in? It was awfully presumptuous of you to think I wanted your thoughts." She smiled slyly at him.

Lucy knew at this point there was no way she could hide her attraction to her new acquaintance so she might as well practice her flirting skills. They were a little rusty since she was almost never approached by anyone who had truly caught her eye.

Natsu shrugged his shoulders "I try to help where I can."

Despite always feeling guarded and uncomfortable around strangers and people in general, she felt surprisingly at ease with Natsu. She didn't feel compelled to throw up her typical off-putting facade and she played her hand.

"I don't suppose you would like to help me with something else?"

Natsu grinned, "I would be glad to assist you, Miss Lucy, how may I be of service?"

"You see, today is my birthday and I am rather hungry, would you like to accompany me to Hakobe for some sushi?"

"Hell ya I would!" His excitement was evident which bolstered Lucy's confidence. She quickly gathered up her items spread around her and took the hand he offered her to help her up. Her heart fluttered slightly at the contact.

Natsu was a good head or so taller than her, which caused her to look up into his dark eyes. Instead of releasing her hand, he brought it up to his lips.

"Happy Birthday Lucy," he spoke softly as he gently kissed her hand.

He then turned her around and with the enthusiasm of a teenager, pulled her out the door, missing the deep blush that spread across her face.

* * *

As they were walking the few blocks it took to get to the Hakobe restaurant, they carried on with the typical getting to know you conversation.

Lucy began to sense the same eerie feeling of being watched again. She immediately tensed as Natsu stopped suddenly in his tracks. She peered up at him as he looked around sniffing the air.

Shrugging off the odd behavior, she spun around looking to see if she could detect anything unusual.

She leaned into Natsu, whispering loudly "So it isn't just me then?"

He glanced down at her, "Do you smell it too?"

Lucy shook her head "No, but I sense something that doesn't make me feel comfortable, it's been like this all night."

He looked down worried "Have you noticed it before tonight?"

Again she shook her head, "No, not this feeling."

Her choice of words was not lost on Natsu but it wasn't the time to chat idly out in the open. Since there was no obvious threat and only a faint smell in the air, he decided it was time to hurry the pace to their destination. He grabbed her hand once again, intertwining their fingers and walked directly to the restaurant.

The moment they entered the restaurant, Lucy's tension eased slightly. She was now focused on just how hungry she was and she was anxious for her double order of Beef Tataki and Sashimi.

As of late, she had noticed her hunger has grown insatiable, almost like a craving that has yet to be satisfied. What the craving was, though, was a mystery. The closest thing she could compare it to was her more alarming desire for raw foods.

Her diet usually consists of a raw meat dish at least once a day, her favorite as of late being Steak Tartare. This was on her laundry list of odd things to discuss with a doctor if she ever got around to making the appointment.

Natsu grazed his hand down her back gently urging her forward to the waiter, breaking her from her train of thought and entering her into a new one. She blushed slightly, aware of how touchy-feely a person he was.

She wondered how someone can come out of nowhere and feel comfortable enough to hold her hand so willingly or place his hands on her in a way that implies familiarity. Then again, she also wondered why she was so accepting of it.

Maybe she accepted it without a thought because it was something that she wanted. This type of connection was something absent in her life for a long time and she quickly discovered it was something she craved deeply.

* * *

They were seated in a quiet area of the restaurant, the main dinner rush has already passed so there was no need to wait for a table. Being handed each a menu Natsu opened it with a childish enthusiasm while Lucy didn't even bother opening it.

Natsu noticed this, peering over his menu, questioning the blonde, "I thought you were hungry?"

She smiled sweetly at him and responded "Oh, I already know what I'm getting. I come here at least once a week so I feel like I know the menu front to back."

Natsu chuckled "A girl who knows what she wants, I'm impressed."

Lucy raised an eyebrow and her eyes fell on his lips, "Yes, yes I do."

Before any further comments could be made, the waiter came to take their orders.

The waiter tilted his head toward Lucy, pen and paper at the ready, as she ordered: "Yes I will have 2 orders of Beef Tataki and a Sashimi Combo."

He nodded his head before turning his attention to Natsu, "Uh, _hmm_ … Can I have a Hakobe Boat, Spicy Maki Plate, Spicy Edamame, Sashimi Taco Trio and Ooh! Dragon Maki!"

The waiter nodded again, glancing up, before asking, "Are you expecting more people?"

Lucy giggled and Natsu looked sheepishly "No, just us."

The waiter nodded again and left quietly to put their order in. Natsu and Lucy stared at each other for a beat before Lucy spoke, "So, I was planning on buying our dinner since I asked you for this favor but, I think we are going to have to go dutch if you don't mind."

She smiled to soften her words in hopes she didn't offend him. Natsu simply laughed "Like, I would let you buy dinner. Especially if we are out celebrating your birthday."

Natsu's tone changed slightly, "So, Luce what's your deal?"

" _Uh_ , what do you mean?" Lucy was puzzled by what he was trying to ask.

"Well, you asked me to join you for dinner on your birthday, which you're spending with someone you just met in a coffee shop instead of family or friends."

Lucy fiddled with her chopsticks mulling over what to say about the matter. She felt compelled to tell him the truth, but she didn't want him to look at her like others so often did. She was tired of the pitiful looks people would give her, like she was fragile and about to have a breakdown.

Natsu noticing her quietness spoke up, "Hey, I'm sorry if I touched on a sore subject. I didn't mean to bum you out."

Lucy looked up and him and spoke what was on her mind "No, it's fine actually, I was just debating on what to tell you."

She shifted nervously "Whenever the subject of family or friends comes up, I either avoid it or tell some pretty and sensible lie." She looked up at Natsu who had a look on his face that told her to go on. "So the truth of it is, I don't have any family and as for friends, well, I don't make those easily so I guess you could call me a loner."

Natsu took in her words carefully. He had a strong idea of why she avoids the truth on this subject. He offered the only thing that he could think of, "So, my father disappeared on me ages ago and I never knew my mother. I was taken in by what you could call a foster home of sorts. They are like my family, but outside of them, let's just say I don't have a large contact list on my phone."

She smiled at him, understanding why he offered that information. She paused as the waiter approached and set down their food. They took their first bites and she noted he ate like a ravenous beast, giggling at his sloppiness.

She decided to continue with the truth about her parents knowing that he wouldn't give her the same look she so often got. "So, I was an only child just like my both my parents had been, they are gone now so it's just me. My mom had died suspiciously when I was small, my father was always suspected but no real evidence was ever gathered. After she died, my father became detached and angry, which didn't help the suspicion surrounding him. He died of an unknown illness about 5 years ago. Doctors truly had no idea why, all his testing came back as him being a healthy man." She shrugged it off as she took another bite of sashimi.

Natsu stopped with his mouth full, "I'm showwry about your pawents."

Lucy laughed at the sight of Natsu looking like a stuffed chipmunk, "Thanks, it means so much to me when you say it with your mouth full." The sarcasm dripped off her words.

He laughed heartily, "Usually I get smacked upside the head for talking with my mouth full."

"Would you feel better if I did?" She asked lightheartedly.

"I'd feel better if you smacked me alright, but not upside the head." Natsu winked at her.

Lucy blushing slightly from the implication but turned the tables on him instead, "Anyways, what's your deal? You always talk to random chicks in coffee shops and go out on dates with them?"

Natsu beamed, "So this is a date?"

Lucy nodded, "I guess it is."

"Sweet! I've never been on one before. It's fun, I like it." His grin was so wide it split his face in half before continuing, "Honestly, I just felt compelled to say hi to you. It's not like I go around stalking women waiting for the right opportunity to say hi and take them out for their birthdays."

Lucy looked up from her plate, "You certainly are a unique person, I am surprised you haven't dated or have a girlfriend."

Natsu didn't even bother looking up from his plate, " _Ahh_. Icetard says I am too dense to find a girl and Master says my kind have extreme difficulty finding someone."

Lucy raised her brow, curious and confused, "Your kind?"

Natsu blushed at his mistake and tried to cover as best he could,"Um. Ya, you know people who have pink hair."

"I think it's rather handsome on you." She informed sweetly.

Natsu scratched the back of his head, "Thanks."

Natsu and Lucy continued chatting about various topics including work and taste in music and movies over their dinner, laughing and having a great time. Lucy was the happiest she felt in a long time and she was sad to see that dinner was over.

At the same time, however, she was OK with it since she was beginning to not feel well. She couldn't quite place what it was, it wasn't the food, her stomach was fine. She felt almost as though her senses were at their peak limits.

She focused on the clinking plates and glasses, the lights felt brighter than they were when they arrived all adding to her feeling slightly off. She mentally shook herself free of the ideas that she smelled blood. It was a smell she wasn't revolted by, it actually intrigued her.

She was always sensitive to the coppery smell when someone near her would cut or hurt themselves. As a kid playing with the few friends she did have, she would always eagerly help them clean up their scraped knees.

The waiter broke her thoughts as he brought over their check. Natsu quickly swiped it up and handed it back to him with his credit card before she could argue.

"Thank you for coming out with me tonight. I appreciate it, this was way better than going home and spending my birthday curled up on the couch writing or watching a crappy movie."

"Honestly, I wanted to say thank you for inviting me out on this date." As Natsu signed his slip and stood up offering his hand to Lucy he added, "Let me walk you home.

Lucy took his hand as she got up, "Thanks for the offer but that's OK, I walk by myself all the time."

Heading out the restaurant they stood and paused ready to part ways. The gentle breeze ended up bringing back that ominous sensation that something was following her.

Feeling her muscles tense, she glanced up at Natsu to take him up on his offer but Natsu beat her to it.

"I'm walking you home, there is something in the air tonight that doesn't sit right with me." His voice was commanding with an edge of concern and it made Lucy want to curl into him and be protected.

"Ok," she responded simply, as her feet began taking her toward her apartment.

* * *

Their walk was quiet as they were both focused on their surroundings and the feeling that someone was following them seemed to be increasing. Shortly after passing one of the dozens of darkened alleys near Lucy's apartment they both sensed a figure behind them. Both spinning around simultaneously, Natsu stepped in front of Lucy in a protective stance.

Natsu yelled to just beyond the darkness, "Who's there?"

A man walked into the light, Lucy noticed he was oddly dressed in a strange yellow and black hat, reminding her of something Egyptian style. The coat he wore was black on top and faded into a bright yellow that matched the hat. He spoke with a deep timber in his voice "None of your business who I am."

"Alrighty then, what the hell do you want," Natsu asked smartly.

"Again, none of your business Pinky."

"The name is NOT pinky, it's Natsu." A slight growl could be heard, Lucy noted to never call him pinky.

The man howled with sadistic laughter, "Oh this is good, you're the Fairy Tail fuck up they told me about. This should be an easy snatch and grab."

Lucy raised her voice, staring at the man, "What are you after?"

The man raised his eyebrow and gave her a menacing look "Why you, ya vampy little bitch." with that he lunged toward her.

Natsu tossed her aside and she landed a few feet behind them. She watched as the man tossed Natsu against the brick wall slamming his head hard enough to hear something crack. Lucy immediately looked around her for something to protect herself with.

She found a large chunk of brick and grabbed it quickly. Standing up she noticed Natsu backing away from the wall cracking his neck from side to side. Her jaw dropped as she noticed the dent in the wall behind him. She seriously wondered how anyone could still be conscious after an impact like that.

Natsu pulled his fist back and made contact with other man's face. Stumbling back the man returned the punch and hit Natsu squarely in the jaw. They exchanged many punches before the man decided to sweep his leg out tripping Natsu.

They continued their fight on the ground as the man pinned Natsu and smashed his head against the pavement. Lucy wasn't even thinking as she ran toward the man mounted on Natsu as she heard him screaming, "You fucker, you broke the great Rayule's nose!"

Her instincts knew he was too distracted to notice her approach and she caught Natsu smiling as she raised the large brick above her head and smashed it down on the head the man. Rayule slumped over to the side unconscious.

"Awesome job Luce!" Natsu beamed at the blonde who was starting with the brick still in her hand.

"Yo, earth to Lucy!" Natsu yelled as he jumped up from the ground gracefully.

She looked at Natsu, "Did I kill him?"

Natsu chuckled at her innocence, "No, you just knocked him out." He started to fish for his phone, "Just give me a minute and let me call someone to come handle this."

Natsu stepped just out of hearing distance. Lucy looked down at the unconscious man and she felt a strange wave of energy come over her. She kneeled over him starting at the blood on his face, the smell overwhelming her, in that moment she wanted to taste it.

Her hand began to stretch out to touch it but she was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder and Natsu's voice "Hey, let's get you home."

The next block was walked in complete silence, Lucy replaying what happened over and over in her hand. Her brain started to piece together oddities scattered throughout the night. She was trying to form a conclusion of sorts but none if it made sense to her.

Why of all nights did she meet Natsu?

Why did he make her feel so at ease?

Why are her senses so sharp?

Why did Rayule call her a vampy bitch?

Why did she want to taste his blood?

Why, _Why, Why_?

Just as her brain felt like it was going to combust Natsu turned to her, "We're here." Coming to her senses again she realized they were in her apartment. Then it struck her, "How do you know where I live?"

Natsu had to think fast since for the second time this evening he wasn't being cautious. He almost lost complete control when he had the altercation with Rayule, thankfully Lucy had put him down before he did.

"You mumbled it on our walk here."

Lucy nodded seeming to buy the response as she walked over to her sink to wash her hands, inhaling slightly she became overwhelmed by the smell of Natsu as he came closer. It had the familiar coppery undertone of blood but there was something else about it that she had a hard time figuring out.

It made her think of cinnamon hearts and it smelled absolutely delicious. She noticed that Natsu was bleeding from his knuckles and his face. She snapped out of it and walking off to her bathroom; she called after him "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Natsu leaned on the counter across from Lucy in her small bathroom, feeling like the tension could be cut with a knife. She was focused on her task of searching for her first aid supplies.

"You know it's nothing really, you don't have to."

She turned and looked determined "It's the least I can do for you since you saved me."

He chuckled looking down at her, "You saved yourself, Luce, you didn't need me."

Lucy's response shocked the both of them when she uttered, "I'll always need you Natsu." She had no idea what possessed her to say it but instead of trying to backtrack over her words she simply blushed and went back to her task as if she never said it.

Natsu also ignored the statement opting to examine the cut on his finger as he felt a warmth for the blonde jolt through his system. Since he first laid eyes on her months ago he had fostered feelings for her.

He had suspected she was the one he was supposed to watch over before he lost the Heartfilia line. To this day he still blamed his brother Zeref for what everyone at Fairy Tail called his "monumental fuck up". Her smell was so familiar, like the young girl he used to watch over.

The smell had matured since then and especially in last month, it began changing. He couldn't deny it was something he wanted to wrap himself in and treasure. Natsu was thoroughly convinced he found the last of the Heartfilia Clan which meant he found the last of her race.

His thoughts were broken when he heard her exclaim " _Ah-hah_!"

"I finally found the first aid kit. It's been so long since I've used it." She turned around to face Natsu who was looking up at her from examining the side of his finger in detail. He was about to put the finger in his mouth to clean the blood away like he typically did but was startled when Lucy dropped her supplies and grabbed his hand away from him quickly.

"Don't," was all that came out of her mouth.

She held his hand, looking at the blood slowly seeping out of the small cut and wrapped her lips around his finger. Her mouth made contact with the blood on his finger and her eyes fluttered shut. She swiped her tongue gently over the cut and her mouth exploded in flavor causing her to hum softly as she felt small crackling sensations travel across her tongue and throughout her mouth, she even felt it in her teeth.

It reminded her of the pop rocks candy she ate as a kid and she savored the sensation. It wasn't long before she started gently sucking on his finger.

Natsu's body shifted as he felt an overwhelming surge of power in the air. He watched her in awe as she seemed to be in a whole other world. She let go of his finger and without even opening her eyes she inhaled and moaned softly as she took a step closer letting her sense of smell guide her to where she wanted to be.

She got onto her tiptoes leaning into Natsu's body and the tip of her nose skimmed the length of his injured jaw. She could smell the cinnamon coppery goodness and a thirst washed over her senses as her tongue darted out to lap at the blood from the injuries on his jaw.

She could taste something else now aside from the metallic cinnamon flavor, it was almost a sweet smoky flavor. She wanted more and without even realizing it her teeth nicked his skin and a burst of sweet flavor exploded in her mouth. Her knees buckled and Natsu caught her in his arms breaking the contact.

She was in a drunken daze and unable to stand so he picked her up and carried her into her living room placing her on the couch. He went back to the bathroom to finish cleaning up and splash a good dose of cold water on his face.

* * *

Lucy felt like she had a massive hangover when she opened her eyes then rubbed them gently. Feeling disoriented she glanced at the clock on her cable box, the time read 12:19 am. She heard rummaging in her kitchen and became alarmed as to who was in her house.

She peeked over the side of her couch, spying Natsu in her kitchen and immediately relaxed.

Lucy watched what he was doing, her curiosity piqued as Natsu had her favorite mug out along with the tea. He filled the mug with water and tossed a teabag in, lifting it with one hand, he held the other hand under it and a small flame appeared. Lucy quickly shifted back, her eyes not believing what she saw. As much as it puzzled her she discovered, she wasn't surprised or scared, it just felt as if it was something almost normal.

Natsu turned the corner of the couch to see Lucy was awake.

"Well hello there sleepy head," He handed her the tea and she sighed as she took it.

"How long have I been asleep?"

He thought for a second, "Not long, maybe an hour?" He took a seat next to her on the couch and turned to face her, "Look, we have to talk." But before he could continue she interrupted him.

"What are you?" she asked quickly. Natsu grinned widely and it was then that she noticed his sharper than usual canine teeth.

"I'll get to that, don't worry." He started to become a little nervous, "How do you feel right now?"

Lucy thought a moment as she blew on the steaming mug. "I feel like I had about 10 shots of tequila."

Natsu chuckled at her response, "Well you're dehydrated, that's for sure. Do you remember what happened in the bathroom?"

Lucy raised her mug and went to take a sip when her eye bumped the mug and caused her to spill a bit of the tea, "Ahh, what the hell?"

She placed the mug on the side table so she could touch her teeth. They felt larger and pointier than normal, similar to what Natsu's looked like. Her memories of the bathroom flooded her and she immediately flushed a bright red and pulled the blanket on her lap over her head.

" _Oh god, oh god_ , I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. _Oh god_." Natsu laughed at her exclamations and labored breathing. The covers flew back over her head and revealing a very unhappy Lucy, her hair floating around her head full of static electricity, with a shot of anger she yelled, "You're _laughing_ at me!"

He laughed even harder at her appearance as she continued, "What is so _damn funny_ , you… you… _Flaming Flamingo_!"

Natsu had completely lost it then, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"Flaming flamingo? Gray's gonna love that one Luce!" Lucy had also chuckled at her lame insult. They both calmed down a little and she looked dejectedly at Natsu "Natsu, what is wrong with me?"

Grabbing her hands in his, he looked her in the eyes, "There is nothing wrong with you Lucy."

She sniffed hard, trying not to let the few stray tears fall.

"I've never felt like everyone else, I tried to fit in but, so many strange things have occurred in my life. Bizarre recurring dreams almost my entire life, the type that when you wake up from them, you have to take some time to come back to reality. I've started sleeping all day and staying up all night, no matter how I try I can't break that cycle. Strange cravings that I have never felt comfortable telling anyone about ever since I can remember. I tried telling my dad all this one time after my Mom died, a mistake I never made again. Hell, even the way my parents died was not normal and hey let's top this all off with what the fuck happened to my teeth."

Lucy's rant was interrupted by Natsu's soothing voice, "Hey, I told you there is nothing wrong with you, trust me on that one. There are just things that haven't been explained yet."

Lucy nodded, she believed his words but she wasn't sure how she would find her answers "Where do I even begin Natsu? Doctors will think I am nuts and that will lead down a path I'd rather not go. Been there done that, if you know what I mean." She huffed a breath of air and sunk further into the couch.

Natsu smirked at her, "I know just where to start Luce." She raised her eyebrow in question.

"Get your stuff, let's go."

"Where exactly are you taking me?" Lucy inquired as she got up collecting her belongings. The night was just so strange that she figured, why bother fighting it. He obviously means her no harm and honestly, she was all out of reasons to object.

"I'm going to take you to Gramps at Fairy Tail." He stated, his tone a matter of fact.

"I've never heard of Fairy Tail, what is it?"

"It's been my home for the past century or two." His smile betrayed the insanity of his statement.

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Ya, sure. Between you and me, you're the one that needs the help!"

* * *

Lucy found they were walking in the darker part of town where businesses were few and far between. She inhaled the night air deeply and looked up at the stars as they walked. Admiring how brightly even the shyer stars shined, she absentmindedly reached for the warmth of Natsu's hand that was near her own. Their fingers entwined yet again, "They're so beautiful." was all Lucy said just under her breath.

"Not as beautiful as you." Natsu said as he squeezed her hand.

She looked at him feeling embarrassed and slightly amused "Dork."

"What! I was just stating a truth." He smiled down at her, "Jeesh, don't know how to take a compliment."

The blonde tensed slightly, "Sorry, no one has ever called me beautiful. It was still dorky though." She squeezed his hand playfully.

Natsu stopped in front of a darkened dilapidated shell of a school built at the turn of the century. "We're here!"

Eyeing him skeptically, "Seriously? Are you messin' with me?"

"Nope, although, it is fun messing with you." Before Lucy could respond, he dragged her through the front gate.

Lucy's jaw dropped once they passed the gate. The same dark night was above but the building now looked lively, in excellent repair, and well lit. The grounds were superbly manicured with gorgeous moonflowers blooming all along the length of the iron fence.

She ripped her hand out of Natsu's running back out of the gate and turned to look at the building again. It was as it appeared before, abandoned. There was also the lack of the pink haired man she knew was present on the other side.

She ran back through the gate, slamming smack dab into the solid mass that was Natsu.

Laughing heartily at her reaction, "Yup, prettier on the inside for sure."

Lucy rolled her eyes "Yup, total dork!"

Lucy was taken aback when they entered the building, there was a lively mix of what seemed to be ordinary people surrounded by a grand ambiance at first glance. Upon further inspection, however, the blonde realized none of these people were what she had originally thought of as normal.

The sights before her were quickly digested, accepted, and understood with ease by her brain which shocked her more than what was displayed before her eyes.

Surely the man and woman creating a miniature live snow-globe for the child sitting across from them should set off alarms.

She should be cowering in fear from the display of aggression and testosterone on the other side of the building as two large men stood poised to attack one another. Especially since one seemed to have scales that shimmered gold across his arms as he wielded a small ball of electricity in one hand.

The other appeared to have studs protruding from all around his face with fists, that looked to made of iron, raised and ready to strike. She should be backing out and running away screaming like a lunatic as the woman with fiery red hair clad in armor and a menacing look quickly approached them.

Quickly the small blond scurried behind Natsu which seemed to be standing tall with the biggest grin and not a care in the world by the surrounding chaos.

" _What_ is the meaning of _this_?" The scarlet maiden bellowed. The entire room fell silent and focused on them.

Suddenly aware that eyes were on them, Natsu nervously scratched the back of his head, "Hey Erza, you look quite menacing this evening."

"Enough sweet talk Natsu, what possessed you to bring this… this civilian into the guild? Have you gone insane?" The red haired woman gave Lucy a look of such disgust, reminding her of how her father had always regarded her.

From somewhere near the bar a female voice could be heard, "He was never sane!" This comment prompted a few chuckles.

"Quiet Cana!" Erza commanded. Turning her attention back to the two nervous people at the entrance she continued with her barrage, "You know the rules Natsu, we are to refrain from mingling with civilians and we are _never_ to bring one to the guild."

The two large men who were fighting a moment ago were approaching fast, Lucy tensed up as she heard the blonde one gruffly state, "She isn't a civilian."

"Ya, flash-face is right, what the hell did you find Salamander?" The dark haired man leaned toward her inhaling deeply, flinching away, she tucked herself closer to Natsu's back.

Under the dark haired man's breath, he muttered to himself, "I'll be damned Salamander."

He then stood up tall, yelling over in the direction of the two people that had been making the snow globe "Da fuck Gray? You freeze hell over?"

Gray stood up abruptly, almost knocking over the blue-haired woman sitting next to him. "What the hell are you talkin' about man?"

The blond haired male spoke up after sniffing toward Lucy as well, "It seems our fuck-up pyro finally found the little blood sucking princess he lost!"

All the destructive players in the room were getting heated, tension steadily growing in the room. Finding the animosity almost palpable, Lucy began feeling the prickling of tears in her eyes. She always hated crying, but had little control over it.

The threat of tears coupled with the unfriendly attention and total disregard for her only caused her anxiety to escalate.

Instinctually she pressed herself impossibly closer to the man in front of her who had taken on a more serious and protective stance. Sensing his newly found friend's unhappiness, he grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Gray eyed the blonde cowering behind Natsu, "Bullshit, those damned leeches died off decades ago!" The blue-haired woman beside him frowned at the harsh words and smacked him upside the head. He ignored the slap as if it never happened, staring directly at his idiotic rival.

Lucy sobbed almost inaudibly, flinching at Gray's harsh words. Natsu, having heard the quiet sob set him off and a deep growl washed away any traces of the light-hearted demeanor in him.

" _Shut the hell up_!" he roared loudly, "She can hear you and she has feelings, you assholes. Right now she has no idea what the hell is going on or what she is. I brought her here for answers, not fucking insults."

Erza's demeanor shifted to something less menacing at those words and looked toward the blue-haired woman standing next to Gray, "Juvia, please go get Master immediately." Her eyes then slipped to Gray next, "Apologise _now_."

Gray scoffed, "Why should I?"

"Because you're making her cry," Natsu growled loudly.

Gray raised an eyebrow in a challenge, "So?"

A wave of magical heat swept the room and Erza's eyes widened as she regarded the pair in front of her, "Natsu, please calm yourself."

The edge in Erza's voice along with the magic filling the air brought everyone's attention back to Natsu and Lucy with audible gasps heard throughout the room.

Lucy felt a warm wind surround her, tossing her hair wildly. The effect was immediately calming and she closed her eyes. Letting her hand slip away from his, she brought her arms around his waist hugging him from the back. She hummed in contentment while he growled in anger. A gruff gasp forced her eyes open as she saw the blonde and black haired men both back away slowly.

Finding the action curious she looked over the part of the room she could see and saw a similar reaction from everyone else. Puzzled she looked up toward the man she was hugging and discovered they were engulfed in flames. The flames felt warm and gentle reminiscent of her teenage sun worshiping days.

She shifted to Natsu's side keeping her arms circled around him, raising his arm to accommodate her shift. Looking down at her, he smiled warmly, she noticed his eyes were an odd golden red color.

His attention shifted back to Gray, " _Apologize_ , you ice-prick."

Gray looked downward, "Sorry there, Blondie."

Natsu growled, "Her name is Lucy, not Blondie."

Gray glanced up annoyed "Sorry Lucy"

Lucy heard a giggle from the bar, a tall white-haired woman was smiling brightly as she spoke, "I think Natsu found a girl."

Lucy blushed at the words and implication.

"Alright! Shows _over_!" Bellowed a small older man who entered the room from a door just on the side of the bar.

"Natsu, you idiot, you're going to burn the building down," and just like that all the warmth was gone, shut off as if it were a light switch. She cleared her throat and stepped away from Natsu with embarrassment, realizing how intimately they embraced for two people who only met that night.

The small man walked up to Lucy and held out his hand to guiding her toward his office, "Hello child, I hear you're here for answers. Please, won't you join me in my office.",

"Well, aren't you coming?" Natsu smiled brightly when the older man included him and followed them into the office.

As the old man shut the door behind them, he gestured toward the chairs, "Please have a seat kids."

Lucy settled, taking in the surrounding room. It was warm and inviting with books lining the walls. It smelled of Old Spice, dust, and old paper. She barely noticed as the man hopped onto his desk and sat in front of them cross-legged.

Clearing his throat, the squat old man officially introduced himself, "My name is Makarov Dreyar and I am the Master of this Guild."

Lucy's brows knitted slightly at his words, which prompted him to grin, "Think of it like a boss, sort of. Except I have little to no control over this lot of fools." Ignoring the small chuckle from Natsu, Master Makarov continued, "Most people call me Master, some refer to me as Gramps. You may call me whatever you are most comfortable with."

Lucy nodded her head in understanding, "Thank you Mr. Dreyar."

The blonde's head was swimming with a million questions but before she could even begin the Master continued.

"I sense your many questions child, I will happily answer as best I can. First, let me tell you both a short tale that may hopefully shed some light on why you are here now." Lucy settled into her seat ready to hear the Master's words.

"There are many facets to this world, some we know and some we do not. There are people that believe magical beings and creatures walk this earth, that they hide themselves among humans and animals alike. There are also people that don't believe in any of the sort. The truth is, magic exists and this world was once filled with all the creatures you read about. Fear, however, has been diminishing the magic in this world. The decline of magic, as we know it, began about 500 years ago with the great war among the creatures and beings in this world."

He stopped, checking to see if she was still listening, which she was.

"We were once ruled by the Celestial Governing Body, all species, creatures, and beings were represented by their Clan's Stewards and led by the Celestial Governess. Peace had prevailed under their rule until a faction of Dragons and Demons calling themselves the Etherious Alliance became too greedy for power and slaughtered the Celestial Governess. The Stewards became divided, allowing the Etherious Alliance to gain allies and thusly tipping the world into war and chaos."

"That war lasted three centuries and laid waste to many of the creatures we read about today. Sadly, some lost with no known record of their existence. The Etherious Alliance was defeated when their leader, Acnologia, went missing and his second in command, Zeref, tried to take over and lead. The war ended unceremoniously with no formal conclusion aside from Zeref's defeat. There is still an Etherious Alliance today, but the Celestial Governing Body never re-formed. Most clans went underground, hiding their magic, fearing another war that could lead to the death of their kind. Magic has been diluted over the past few centuries since the bloodlines and creatures that carried it have been either wiped out of existence, in deep hiding or have been bred out."

"Today in the world, people are born with latent magical abilities or creature attributes but with no knowledge or belief in their heritage. That is where the role of guilds comes in, we are a loosely organized network of people whose goals are to seek out and help those who have come into their abilities. This is an important goal for us to reach these people before those in the Etherious Alliance can corrupt them and bring them into their ranks. Our guild, Fairy Tail, is the place where those in the city of Magnolia can seek out help or work." The Master sighed and took a sip from his large mug beside him.

"That brings us to you. I have no doubt that you have recently reached the age of 25, have you not?"

Natsu piped up, "You bet, I took her out to celebrate her birthday just earlier tonight!"

The Master chuckled softly at Natsu's obvious excitement.

"What does age have to do with it?" Lucy inquired.

"Well, that is the believed age of maturity for most magic creatures. For some, it's a gradual build up and for other's it's a sudden unlocking of ability. Tell me Miss Heartfilia, do you know anything about your heritage?"

Lucy looked down at her hands fiddling with her nails, "Honestly, no, my mother died when I was young and my father died a few years ago without ever speaking of anything… unusual."

Makarov nodded understandingly, "Tell me, have you ever craved to taste anyone's blood before?"

Lucy's sucked in a small breath, eyes nervously searching for something to focus on other than the two other people in the room. "I… _well_ I..."

Makarov interrupted her stuttering, "Neither I nor Natsu will judge you, nothing you say could shock us and what you say in here is kept in confidence."

Lucy smiled meekly, "Blood has always smelled good to me. I've never had the urge to drink it or anything like that. Although I do prefer raw beef over cooked but that's normal, or so my mom told me. I knew it wasn't though, from how people reacted when I told them." Lucy paused and cleared her throat as both men watched her intently, "Sorry, I'm rambling. The first time I have ever truly craved what I knew was blood was tonight. It smelled so delicious and overwhelming, my body just went on auto-pilot, the blood just tasted so good and it was soothing and filling. I had never tasted anything like it in my life. It was strangely sweet with a smokey cinnamony coppery taste and a..." She paused momentarily when she realized they were both watching her with a curious expression on their faces. "What? What did I say?"

The short old man chuckled under his breath and reached into his drawer to grab a mirror, handing it to the blonde. She took it and looked into the mirror curiously; she was met with a pair of brown eyes that bled gold and deep garnet. She inhaled suddenly "My eyes they're…"

"Gorgeous" Natsu replied before she could finish her sentence.

Makarov cleared his throat, looking at the two, "Is it safe to assume you are describing Natsu's blood?"

Looking down bashfully she responded with a quiet, "Yes."

"Oh come now Miss Heartfilia, it is only natural for your kind to crave blood."

Lucy looked up, "My kind?"

"Why yes, vampires are widely known for the peculiar eating habits." He chuckled jumping off his desk and walking to his bookshelves.

Lucy's head turned quickly toward Natsu, "VAMPIRE? Like "I vant to suck your blood" vampire? Wait, you knew? How did you know?"

He gave her a sheepish grin, "Umm… Ya." But he didn't offer any other answers.

As Makarov collected a few select books from around the room, he interrupted Natsu before he could get into trouble, "You are not full blooded my child, but you are the last known of your kind. Natsu was tasked with watching over the Heartfilia Clan long before you were born. However, just after your birth we lost track and have been searching for you before the Etherion Alliance could find you."

"So was that why that man attacked us?" Lucy inquired innocently to Natsu, who cringed instantly.

" _When did you plan on telling me this, boy_?" Makarov seemed to have grown in size, towering over a skittish looking Natsu.

"I didn't get a chance to yet Gramps! You decided to tell your little story and I figured it was more important for Luce to get her answers first."

Seemingly satisfied with his answer the old man calmed himself, "You are to stay by her side, under no circumstances is she to be left alone. They will send more men after her and she cannot be left unprotected. Also, in light what transpired between you two, she will certainly need you by her side from now on."

Lucy quirked her head "Why are people after me and why do I need him for something other than protection?"

Makarov sighed, "There are many things to discuss with you, my child, first though you must educate yourself on your kind." He handed her a small pile of books, "Please start with these, over time you will certainly learn more about your heritage. There are those out there that wish to wipe the vampire clans out completely and those who wish to use you as a pawn." He walked back to his desk to take another long gulp from his mug, "Your situation with Natsu here is a unique one. He will be the one who can sustain your craving for blood. You can try to feed from others but they will not satisfy as deeply as him."

Natsu snickered, about to utter a crass remark about satisfaction but Lucy glared at him, "Don't even go there."

"Oh but I will, when you're ready." He winked at her with a devious smile.

Their banter was interrupted "Well kids, time for a refill and to collect my winnings from Cana! Remember son, don't let her out of your sight and my dear, those books should give you a good amount of answers. Sadly, I don't know much more than what those books can provide."

Natsu cocked his head, "Winnings? What's being bet on this time?"

Gramps made his way to the door, "Whether you would find Miss Heartfilia and whether you two would… hit it off so to speak."

" _Oi_! For real! At least you had faith in me! Thanks Gramps! Hope you made out well."

"No worries boy, I cleaned house!" He smiled back at the two as he exited.

Lucy turned to Natsu after the door clicked shut and sighed heavily, "I think my brain is going to combust. I don't know if I should be more alarmed at what I heard or that what I heard made sense."

She chuckled softly and added, "What are you?"

Natsu boasted proudly, "I'm a fire dragon."

"Makes sense, with the fire and all. I thought dragons were part of the bad guys?"

"Not all of us are. My clan disagreed and didn't believe in the goals of the Etherious Alliance, well most of them anyway." Natsu tone held a sliver of hurt.

"Wait, how come I didn't burn when you were lit up like a roman candle? Oh, and thank you, by the way, for everything."

"It's nothing Luce! I would do anything for you." Natsu walked over to a bookshelf on the far side of the room, skimming the titles searching for one in particular.

"Hah!" He exclaimed as he plucked the book from the shelf, "I'm shit at explaining things so we should add this to the pile of reading as well."

She took the book he had handed her, a rather thick and heavy one, reading the title aloud, "Dragon Mating Encyclopedia. What the hell?" She glared up at him to catch the pink haired dragon winking at her with a lascivious grin.

"You should probably read it first since you kinda claimed me or whatever corny thing they want to call it." Lucy gasped at the implication of his words.

His eyes grazed over her form, "If you don't feel like reading, I could always..." he leaned in close to her with his lips ghosting over her ear, "show you."

She inhaled deeply, smelling the sweetness of what flowed in his veins, momentarily lost in her craving. She hummed and then playfully pushed him away, "I prefer reading, you're shit at explaining, remember?" She refocused her attention on placing her new reading materials in her bag.

Natsu leaned back with a chuckle and when she was finished stowing her books, he held out his hand to Lucy. She grabbed it without hesitation and they walked back out the office.

They made their way to the main entrance he waved them all goodbye and took Lucy back to her apartment.

After the two exited the building, Cana turned to the main area of the guild where people gathered and yelled, "Attention! I'm now taking bets on when Natsu pops her cherry!"

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** **I am debating on developing this further. Please review and let me know what you think!  
I would like to thank my Beta readers Octohoney and Dim! They provided some very insightful and helpful commentary! :-)**


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